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Tenancy Services

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	What do you need to know when you’re starting a new tenancy? Watch this video, where a young house gets some helpful tips from another. Read more: Starting a tenancy Starting a Tenancy (transcript) Smaller house: Hey, guess what? I’m getting tenants for the first time. Have you ever had tenants? Bigger house: Oh, it’d be a fair few over the years. I assume everyone’s signed the tenancy agreement? Smaller house: A-durr, everyone knows you have to do that. But um ... what’s the clemency decreement thing again? Bigger house: The tenancy agreement is something the landlord and the tenants have to sign. It’s actually a contract, but you knew that. Smaller house: Yeah yeah. Oooh! Ha hey, what’s happening now? Bigger house: They’re taking pictures of you. Smaller house: Ah, cool. It’s like an episode of Homes of the Rich and Famous! Bigger house: Rental homes of a middle income street, more like! Smaller house: Come here and say that! Bigger house: Settle down. If you’re a bit new to renting, there’s a couple of must-do’s. Make sure everyone’s signed the tenancy agreement and knows whether it’s periodic or fixed term. Take pictures of the general condition of the property, appliances and any existing damage or wear. Smaller house: Make sure you get my good side. Bigger house: Be good if you had a quiet side. There’s more info on this website. Close transcript
	Who’s responsible for keeping your rental home in a good condition? In this video, you’ll see both tenants and landlords have a role to play. Read more: Maintenance & inspections Video: Maintenance and inspections (transcript) Smaller house: (sneeze) Bigger house: You okay? Smaller house: I think I’m getting a cold. Bigger house: Sure it’s not a case of man-sion flu? Smaller house: Oh-oh very... (coughing) Bigger house: You’re in awful condition, has your landlord done an inspection lately? Smaller house: What’s an inspection? Bigger house: Hmmm...I see. Have your tenants brought it up? Smaller house: They’ve coughed a bit, if that’s what you mean. Bigger house: Do they open your windows once in a while? They’re supposed to. Smaller house: I think they’re all painted shut. Hang on, I’ll try and force one of them open... ... no. They’re not moving. Bigger house: Mine work fine. Ahh. Smaller house: My piles are playing up as well... Bigger house: Poor thing! If you’re a landlord, you should do regular inspections and must maintain the property in a reasonable state. Make sure there are working smoke alarms, heating and drainage. Make sure it can be ventilated and the insulation complies with the upcoming rules. And tenants, you need to keep the place tidy and clean, get some fresh air into it, leave the smoke alarms where they are, and tell the landlord if something’s wrong, like blocked drains or sticky windows, ok? There’s more info on this website. Close transcript
	Sometimes it’s difficult to see eye to eye on a problem. This video will outline the options available for resolving a dispute. Read more: Disputes Dealing with Disputes (transcript) Apartment: OMG. Have you heard the latest goss? Smaller house: No! Spill the beans. Apartment: Well, you didn’t hear it from me... Smaller house: Of course not. Apartment: The girl in 14b hasn’t paid her rent. Smaller house: Oh oh! Controversial! Apartment: It gets better. The landlord actually came over yesterday to speak to her about it. Smaller house: Juicy. Apartment: Anyway they shared a bowl of mini-pretzels and she told him all about it. Smaller house: And? Apartment: So, turns out her sister had a bit of an incident with a glacier. Smaller house: Ha ha ha ha. Apartment: She fell into a crevasse during a nine-day hike across the Tibetan plateau to marry a sherpa she met online. Smaller house: Oh, not again. Apartment: So now she needs money for an emergency air-lift. Smaller house: Oh, shut the door! Apartment: It is shut! So the landlord said “well, these things happen.” Smaller house: That’s true. Apartment: And they’ve figured out a payment plan kind of thing. Smaller house: Oh, happy endings all round. Apartment: I love living here. Smaller house: I love you. Apartment: If you’ve got a dispute with your landlord or tenant, try and resolve it between yourselves. Then you can formalise your agreement with FastTrack Resolution. If not, there’s always Mediation or a Tenancy Tribunal Hearing. Smaller house: I really look up to you. There’s more info on this website. Close transcript
	Watch this video to find out how to ensure your ceiling and underfloor insulation complies with the requirements. Insulation and rentals - What landlords need to know (transcript) From the 1st of July 2019 ceiling and underfloor insulation will be compulsory in all rental homes where reasonably practicable. You might think the insulation in your rental property complies with the Residential Tenancy Act regulations but it may not. Let's start with the ceiling. If you can do it safely, get a ladder and check your roof space to see if you have insulation. If you have no insulation at all, you will need to install new insulation that complies with the regulations. If your insulation is less than 70 millimetres thick, you will need to top up with new insulation that complies with the regulations. If you're unsure, talk to an insulation installer. If your insulation is thicker than 70 millimetres, you don't need to do anything, provided the insulation is in reasonable condition. But if your insulation is below 120 millimetres, we recommend topping it up anyway. Reasonable condition means no missing areas, no gaps except around down lights and other heat sources, and no defects. If you have missing areas, gaps or defects you need to bring the insulation up to standard to comply with the regulations. Now the underfloor. If you have no insulation at all, you will need to install new insulation to comply with the new regulations. If you already have underfloor insulation it also needs to be in reasonable condition. Again, this means no missing areas, no gaps, and no defects. Insulation that's damaged will need to be repaired or replaced with new underfloor insulation. If you have foil insulation, this is adequate as long as the top surface is still shiny and there are no rips, gaps or damage. There is a risk of electrocution with foil. Turn the power off before touching it. We highly recommend hiring a professional to remove foil. Damaged foil must not be repaired, it must be replaced with another insulation product. There are some exceptions to these rules these include houses without a roof or subfloor space, and houses with inadequate height in the ceiling or subfloor space. Talk to an insulation installer to find out if an exception applies or if you have any doubts or questions about your insulation. They understand the rules and regulations and can check and confirm your property complies. If you do need insulation, check if your rental property is eligible for a 50% subsidy. Find out more about tenancy law at tenancy.govt.nz Close transcript
	What do you need to think about when a tenancy comes to an end? One of our houses learns about how far ahead tenants and landlord need to give notice, and how to get their bond back. Ending a Tenancy (transcript) House Next Door: What’s the matter? Sad House: My tenants...I think they’re leaving me! House Next Door: How do you know? Sad House: They’ve been seeing other houses. The phone calls...texts...going out on the weekend, it all makes sense now! House Next Door: They can’t just up and leave, they have to do it the right way. Sad House: What’s that? House Next Door: Well, if it’s a periodic tenancy the tenants have to give the landlord at least 21 day’s notice. If the landlord needs them to move, they get 90 day’s notice. Sad House: So we’ve still got some time together... House Next Door: If it’s a fixed-term tenancy, they have to stay until the end date. But look, they’re at the stage where they want kids and you’re more...bachelor material. Sad House: What have I done to deserve this?!?! House Next Door: When it’s time to move on, tenants on a periodic tenancy must give 21 day’s notice, unless you agree a shorter time with the landlord. Take your things with you and leave the property clean and tidy. Landlords must give 90 days notice, except in certain cases. When they do leave, meet them at the property to make sure it’s ok. Complete and sign the Bond Return form with them, send it to Tenancy Services to have the bond refunded. There’s more info on this page. Close transcript
	Confused about what needs to be paid to who at the beginning of a tenancy? A young house up to its rafters in questions about rent, bond and bills gets all the answers from his neighbour. Rent, Bond & Bills (transcript) New House: Hey, you got a moment? Old House: I suspect it’ll take longer than that, but go ahead... New house: What’s rent? Old House: Rent is the money tenants give their landlord, every week or fortnight. It’s payment to live in a property, say, a smart little house like you. New House: Gee, thanks! And what’s bond? Old House: Landlords can ask for a bond before the tenants move in, which can be up to 4 week’s rent. They lodge it with Tenancy Services for safe keeping. It’s basically a security payment for any damages or unpaid rent. New House: And who pays bills, or do they just build up and go soggy in the letterbox? Old House: Tenants pay the bills for stuff they use; power, internet and all that. The landlord covers costs that affect the property itself, like insurance and rates. New House: What’s that long green snake on the lawn? Old House: Urrh…that’s the garden hose. New House: Waah! It’s latched onto me! Get it off get it off get it off! Old House: Tenants: pay your rent on time, every week or fortnight. If you’re paying rent weekly, you need to pay one week in advance. If fortnightly, two weeks ahead. Tenants and landlords should talk to each other if there are any problems. Landlords must lodge the bond within 23 working days with Tenancy Services, or online at tenancy.govt.nz- it’s easy. Tenants pay for power, phone, internet, gas and things they use. Landlords pay for property insurance and rates. There’s more information on this website. Close transcript
	This rental house has a tricky situation, and talking to the landlord hasn’t helped. The whole street pitches in – could it be a case for the Tenancy Services Compliance & Investigations team? Compliance & Investigation (transcript) Little House: Hey, I’ve got a bit of a...problem. Apartment: What is it? Little House: There’s a hole by my back door...and you can see my drawers. Apartment: Whoa, that’s nasty. Hey everyone! Little House: Shoosh! Apartment: Check out this guy’s drawers! Old House: Eeeeew, your tenants should talk to the landlord. Apartment: Yep, that’s the first thing to try. Little House: They did, but he’s not fixing it. A child fell through it the other day. Healthy House: My landlord once didn’t give the bond back. They had to go to the tribunal, where it all got solved. Old House: What I reckon is if it’s been there for a while and the landlord’s not doing anything it’s a compliance issue. The Tenancy Services Compliance and Investigation Team can help with that. Apartment: They stepped in when a friend of mine had a fire. Landlord hadn’t actually installed smoke alarms. Major. Fail. Little House: Well, turns out the Tenancy Services Compliance and Investigation Team can help with compliance issues, like if the property is a significant risk to health or safety, or if the landlord has committed a serious or ongoing breach of the Act. The team can also advise you on how to reach resolution yourself, and can visit landlords and property managers to audit their processes. There’s more information on this page. Close transcript
	Our chatty houses have some useful advice for migrant tenants and landlords. 观看带有中文字幕的介绍影片 Starting a Tenancy (Chinese Captions) (transcript) 新房子：嘿，你猜怎么？我我第一次有租客。你有过租客吗？老房子：哦，我这些年有过不少租客了。我想大家都签了租约的是吧？新房子：那当然，人人都知道要签的。但是嘛...悄悄地问一句，什么是那个clemency decreement? 跟我讲讲。老房子：租赁协议是房东和租客之间必须签署的文件。这实际上就是一个合同，你当然知道这个的，对吧？新房子：是啊，是啊，我知道的呀。新房子：哦！哈嘿，发生什么了？老房子：他们正在给你拍照。新房子：啊，很酷噢。这怎么像拍摄《名人家园》一样啊? 老房子：更像中等收入街道的出租房！新房：嘿，打脸啊？老房子：咱俩打住。 [转向观众] 如果您属于租房新手，注意确保各方签定一份租赁协议，弄清楚协议是周期性的还是固定期限的。还要在房子各处拍拍照，拍一拍家电的情况，这样你才好知道有什么已经损坏或磨损的东西新房子：拍照的，把我拍好看一点。老房子：你安静点自然好看。新房子：这个网站上有更多的信息。 Close transcript
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